Memory storage device docking adapted having a laterally mounted fan

ABSTRACT

A docking adapter capable of cooling a memory storage device such as a hard disk drive includes a carrier and a rack. The carrier has a face with a vent, a backplane, a first lateral side and second lateral side extending perpendicularly from the face to the backplane. At least one lateral side of the carrier has a periphery defining an opening. The rack has a first lateral rail and a second lateral rail configured for receiving the carrier. The carrier includes a fan mounted on the lateral rail of the rack to blow air through the opening of the carrier. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the fan is mounted on the carrier and the rack has a lateral opening. In each case, air is vented directly from the carrier to cool the hard disk drive.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to docking adapters that removably dockand cool memory storage devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Docking adapters removably interconnect memory storage devices tocomputer systems and to memory storage device systems, for example.Docking adapters can provide many advantages over fixed hardwareincluding improved data security, optimization of data backup proceduresand sharing of vast amounts of data between non-integrated networks andsystems. Docking adapters can also enable multiple users, each with adockable hard drive, to use a single a machine without interfering withoperating settings and data of another.

U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,369 to Darden et al., the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference, discloses a docking adapter for a harddisk drive. The docking adapter includes a carrier for holding a harddrive and a rack that mounts in a computer housing. The carrier has anopen top. One drawback of the open top design is that when the carrieris removed from the rack, the hard disk drive is exposed. Exposing thehard disk drive may lead to damage to the hard drive, connectivecabling, or other components during handling and transport.

Docking adapters that enclose hard disk drives are prone to heatbuildup. When a hard drive operates and generates heat in a dockingadapter, the docking adapter may inhibit airflow, which would otherwisecool the hard drive.

FIG. 1 shows a known docking adapter 10. The docking adapter 10 has arack 12 and a carrier 14. The carrier 14 has a top cover 16 with ventsthat help cool a hard disk drive. Unfortunately, vents are not alwayseffective at cooling an enclosed hard disk drive. When the dockingadapter mounts in a crowded computer housing, for example, there may beinsufficient space above the docking adapter to facilitate enoughairflow through the vents to effectively cool a hard drive.

The rack 12 includes a backplane 18 having a connector and arear-mounted fan. The carrier 14 has a backplane 20 with a connectorthat couples to the backplane connector of the rack. When the carrierinserts into the rack and the backplane 18 and 20 meet, there is littleroom for air to flow out from the carrier. The backplane of the carrierinterferes with the outflow of air from the carrier. Accordingly, whatis desired is a better way of providing airflow through a dockingadapter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A docking adapter includes a rack which can be fixed in a memory storagedevice housing, microcomputer, or other device and a carrier that housesa memory storage device such as a hard disk drive. The carrier has aface with an air intake vent, a backplane and lateral sides extendingperpendicularly between the face and the backplane. The backplane has adata connector that couples to the hard disk drive.

The docking adapter, preferably the rack, includes laterally mountedfans to direct air from the carrier. Directing air laterally from thecarrier prevents the carrier backplane, cabling, and other componentsfrom interfering with hard drive cooling.

The rack functions as a conduit so that air can be efficiently directedfrom the carrier. Accordingly, air is efficiently drawn from thecarrier, away from the hard disk drive and expelled from the rack thatholds the carrier.

The rack has a first lateral rail, a second lateral rail and a backplanewith a connector. The connector of the rack couples with the connectorof the carrier. The term “rack” is broadly understood to include racksthat are integrated within a memory storage device housing, removableracks, and externally mounted racks. Accordingly, it can be appreciatedthat the rack can assume any of a number of configurations.

The carrier typically encloses a hard disk drive. The first lateral sideof the carrier has a periphery defining an opening for allowing air toflow out from the carrier. The first and second lateral sides of thecarrier are configured to slidably engage the first and second lateralrails of the rack, respectively, to insert the carrier into the rack. Afan mounts on the first lateral rail of the rack to blow air out of thecarrier, through the opening of the carrier.

Preferably, the rack forms a conduit to guide air from the carrier. Whenthe rack forms an air conduit, the fan more efficiently draws air fromthe carrier. Air drawn from the carrier may be expelled distally, viathe backplane of the rack, or laterally, thru the lateral rails of therack.

According to one aspect of the invention, the first lateral railincludes a seal that surrounds the fan, or at least a portion of thefan. When the carrier inserts into the rack, the seal seals against thelateral side of the carrier, adjacent the opening to optimize airflowthrough the opening. The seal can be a rigid seal, or a compliant seal.Preferably, the lateral rails of the rack and the lateral sides of thecarrier fit tightly to form a seal.

According to an alternate embodiment of the invention, the carrierincludes a fan mounted on the face. The face-mounted fan cooperates withthe rack fan to improve airflow through the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a known docking adapter.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of a docking adapter inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a docking adapter inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of docking adapters stacked in a memorystorage device housing.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a rack holding multiple carriers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 2 shows a docking adapter for memory storage devices, generallydesignated with the reference numeral 22. The docking adapter 22includes a rack 24 and a carrier 26. The carrier 26 holds a hard diskdrive 28. Typically, the rack 24 mounts in the bay of microcomputer, orof a memory storage device housing. It can be appreciated, however, thatthe present invention can be employed in conjunction with an externallymounted hard drive. Additionally, while the docking adapter 22 is shownremovably docking the hard disk drive 28, the present invention is notlimited to use with only hard disk drives. Optical drives and otherheat-generating media can be removably docked in accordance with thepresent invention.

The carrier 26 shrouds the hard disk drive 28 to protect the hard diskdrive 28 and related components from impact during handling andtransport. The carrier 26 has a top cover 30, a tray 32, a face 34 and avent 36. The carrier 26 includes a first lateral side 38 and a secondlateral side 40 that extend perpendicularly from the face, definingportions of the tray 32. The carrier 26 includes a backplane 42 with adata connector 44. The lateral side 40 of the carrier 26 has a periphery46. The periphery defines an opening 48. The periphery 46 is generallyrectangular in shape to enable air to exit the tray 32 of the carrier 26to cool the hard disk drive 28.

The rack 24 has a fan 50, a first lateral rail 52, a second lateral rail54 and a backplane 56 with a data connector 58. The data connector 58couples with the data connector 44 and the opening 48 aligns with thefan 50 when the carrier 26 inserts into the rack 24. Preferably, thelateral sides 38 and 40 of the carrier 26 slidably engage the lateralrails 54 and 52 of the rack 24, respectively, to enable the carrier 26to slide into the rack 24.

Although a single fan 50 mounted on the first lateral rail 52 is shown,it can be appreciated that additional fans can mount on the rack 24. Forexample, a fan 50 can mount on the second lateral rail 54 in accordancewith the invention to improve cooling of the hard disk drive 28. It canalso be appreciated that the carrier may have additional openings toaccommodate any additional rack-mounted fans.

The first lateral rail 52 includes a seal 56. The fan 50 has a squareperiphery with four sides. The seal 56 surrounds the four sides of fan50, sealing the first lateral rail 52 against the lateral side 40 of thecarrier 26 when the carrier 26 inserts into the rack 24. The seal 56 ispositioned adjacent the opening 48 to optimize airflow through theopening 48 when the carrier 26 inserts into the rack 24. It can beappreciated that although the seal 56 fully surrounds the fan 50, theseal 56 may alternatively surround only a portion of the fan 50. Theseal 56 shape and configuration depend on the configuration of thecarrier 26, the top cover 30, the backplane 58 and rail 52 of the rack24.

It can be appreciated that the seal 56 may be rigid or compliant.According to one aspect of the invention, the seal 56 is compliant,being fabricated from rubber. It can also be appreciated that the sealmay attach to the carrier 26 periphery 46, instead of attachment to therack 24. According to one aspect of the invention, the carrier side 40and the rack rail 54 fit tightly to seal the fan 50 against the carrierside 40.

The lateral rail 52 is box-shaped to form a conduit 57 through thelateral rail 52. The conduit enables the lateral rail 52 to direct airfrom the carrier 26 through the distal end of the rack 24, out past therack backplane 58 in the direction of the arrow 59.

Preferably, the opening 48 is at least ¼ square inches in area to enablethe airflow to be sufficient to cool the hard disk drive 28. Morepreferably, the opening 48 is between ¼ and 1 square inches in area toeffectuate hard drive cooling.

FIG. 3 shows the docking adapter 22 where the carrier 26 includes fans50 mounted on the periphery 46 of the first lateral side 38 and thesecond lateral side 40 of the carrier 26. The rack 24 has a distal end55.

The first rail 52 and the second rail 54 of the rack 24 each have aperiphery 60 defining an opening 62. When the carrier 26 inserts intothe rack 24, the carrier fans 50 of each lateral side 38 and 40 align,respectively, with the rack opening 62 to blow air from the carrier 26through the rack opening 62. The rack opening 62 on the lateral rail 52enables air to blow through the conduit 57, exiting from the distal end55 of the rack 24. Preferably, each rack opening 62 is at least ¼ squareinches in area to enable sufficient airflow to cool a carrier-mountedmemory storage device. More preferably, each opening 62 is between ¼ and1 square inches in area.

According to an alternate aspect of the invention, the carrier 26 has asingle fan 50 mounted only to one lateral side 38 of the carrier 26.

FIG. 4 shows a memory storage device housing, generally designated withthe reference numeral 70. Multiple docking adapters 22 closely stack inthe memory storage housing. The memory storage housing 70 includes aconnector board 72 that electronically couples with each docking adapter22.

The fan 50 draws air through the vent 36 in the direction of the arrows74 to introduce cool air into the docking adapter 22. The air passesover and cools the hard disk drive 28. The fan 50 (hidden by the carrier26) blows the air out from the carrier 26, though the opening 48.

The use of a laterally mounted fan 50 in a docking adapter 22 can beadapted to direct air laterally outward from the rack 24 instead ofdistally directing air. This would be useful in memory storage housingshaving a connector board which may interfere with distally directedairflow. It can be appreciated that additional fans 50 may be affixed tothe rack 24, or the carrier 26. Also, the rack 24 may include a cover 30with vents (FIG. 2), or without vents, so that the cover of the rackforms a conduit between the hard disk drive 28 and the cover 30.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a memory storage housing 70 havingintegrated racks 24. The integrated racks 24 include lateral rails 52and 54 for sliding the carrier 26 into the memory storage housing 70. Asshown, the carrier 26 has a laterally mounted fan 50. It can beappreciated, however, that the fan 50 may also be fixed on one or bothof the lateral rails 52 and 54 to facilitate cooling.

What is claimed is:
 1. A memory storage device docking adapter,comprising: a carrier for holding a hard disk drive, the carrier has aface with a vent, a first lateral side and second lateral side extendingperpendicularly from the face, and a backplane with a data connector,the first lateral side of the carrier has a periphery defining anopening; a rack having a first lateral rail, a second lateral rail and adistal end with a backplane attached to the lateral rails, the backplaneincludes with a connector; the first and second lateral sides of thecarrier are configured to slidably engage the first and second lateralrails, respectively, to insert the carrier into the rack; and a fanmounted on the first lateral rail of the rack to blow air through theopening of the carrier.
 2. A docking adapter as set forth in claim 1,wherein the first lateral rail defines a conduit for delivering air fromthe carrier through the distal end of the rack.
 3. A docking adapter asset forth in claim 2, wherein the first lateral rail seals against thefirst lateral side of the carrier to optimize airflow through theopening.
 4. A docking adapter as set forth in claim 2, wherein the sealis compliant.
 5. A docking adapter as set forth in claim 1, wherein thecarrier includes a fan mounted on the face, the face-mounted fancooperates with the rack fan to improve airflow through the opening. 6.A memory storage device docking adapter, comprising: a hard disk drive;a carrier having a tray for holding the hard disk drive, the carrier hasa face with a vent, a first lateral side and second lateral sideextending perpendicularly from the face, and a backplane with a dataconnector, the first lateral side of the carrier has a peripherydefining an opening; a rack having a first lateral rail, a secondlateral rail and a backplane with a connector; the first and secondlateral sides of the carrier are configured to slidably engage the firstand second lateral rails, respectively, to insert the carrier into therack; the tray has a top cover with vents for bringing air into thecarrier to cool the hard disk drive; and a fan mounted on the firstlateral rail of the rack to blow air through the opening of the carrier.7. A memory storage device docking adapter as set forth in claim 6,wherein the face has a vent for bringing air into the carrier.
 8. Amemory storage device docking adapter as set forth in claim 7, whereinthe face has fans for blowing air into the carrier, the carrier fanscooperate with the rack fan to cool the hard drive.
 9. A memory storagedevice docking adapter as set forth in claim 7, wherein the face hasfans for blowing air into the carrier and at least on lateral side ofthe carrier has fans for blowing air out of the carrier.
 10. A memorystorage device docking adapter as set forth in claim 7 furthercomprising a memory storage device housing for holding multiple memorystorage devices, the rack is integrated into a memory storage housingand includes multiple lateral rails.
 11. A memory storage device dockingadapter as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a memory storagedevice housing for holding multiple memory storage devices, the rack isintegrated into a memory storage housing and includes multiple lateralrails, each rail has a fan.